Cihannuma Journal of History and Geography Studies

Abstract

The First World War which occured as a consequence of economic and political competition between the Europen states caused huge destruction. The treaties signed at the end of the war didn’t establish peace and tranquillity in Europe nor in Ottoman geography and occupation activities started due to imperialist objectives caused Turkish people to take up arms. The occupation of Izmir by Greek forces and massacres took place during and after the Greek occupation made Turkish people to see the realities and to War of Turkish Independence to start.
Ahmet Izzet Bey was appointed to Aydın province which also included Izmir on 11 March 1919 but he drew negative reactions because of the measures he took to repress the Turkish Independence movement, his efforts to conceal the news of Greek occupation of Izmir, his passive attitude during the occupation and his cooperative politics with the Greek administration after the occupation. Ahmet Izzet Bey, who maintained his position until his death on 5 January 1920, was seen as a symbol and implementer of passive attitude of the Istanbul Government towards the Greek occupation and the sufferings took place after the occupation.
In this study, the occupation of Izmir which has a very important place in the recent Turkish political life, the politics pursued by Ahmet Izzet Bey during the occupation, his relationship with the Istanbul government, Greek ocuupation forces and townsfolk will be examined by utilizing documents from the Turkish Presidency State Archives and reference materials on the era in order to convey the developments occurred during the occupation of Izmir, to evaluate the cause and effect of the politics pursued by Ahmet Izzet Bey.